BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO 25 
size and colouring. It is about twelve inches long, 
the beak much curved ; the prevailing colour of the 
upper parts is light brown, the loose feathers on the 
head, which form a crest, deep rufous. The upper 
tail-coverts are long loose feathers of very unequal 
length, the longest reaching nearly to the end of the 
tail. The under surface is dirty white, or dashed 
with grey. 
Azara says it is called Chochi in Paraguay, and has 
a clear, sorrowful note of two syllables, which it 
repeats at short intervals during the day, and also 
at night during the love-season. It is solitary, scarce, 
and excessively shy, escaping at the opposite side of 
the tree when approached, and when seen having 
the head and crest raised in an attitude of alarm. 
In the northern part of the Argentine country it is 
called Crispin, from its note which clearly pronounces 
that name. Mr. Barrows found it common at Con- 
cepcion on the Uruguay river, and has written the 
following notes about it : 
“* Several were taken in open bushy places, and 
many others were heard. It is a plain but attractive 
Cuckoo with a few-feathered crest, and long soft 
flowing upper tail-coverts. The note is very clear 
and penetrating, sounding much like the word 
‘ crispin ’ slowly uttered, and with the accent on the 
last syllable. The birds are very shy, and I followed 
one for nearly an hour before I saw it at all, and 
nearly twice that time before any chance of a shot 
was offered. There is some peculiarity in the note 
which makes it impossible to tell whether the bird is 
